Switzerland, 2013

The world in

which we live is profoundly changing, but whether it

changes for the better is another matter. That is up to

us. We often get the impression that great strides are

being taken towards a better, more peaceful future.

Unfortunately, reality imposes disappointing setbacks

upon us.

I recall an important step taken 150 years ago.

In 1863, the International Committee of the Red

Cross (ICRC) was founded in Geneva, giving rise to

a global movement. Thanks to their humanitarian

spirit, representatives of that organization work to

provide humanitarian help worldwide for people

affected by armed conflict and other violent situations.

The humanitarian work of the ICRC is based on the

principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.

All victims of conflicts receive the same treatment, and

help is granted to all vulnerable persons. All human

beings are valued equally.

Alongside the humanitarian tradition shared by

Switzerland and the ICRC, my country is proud of

another tradition dating back centuries — neutrality.

I would recall that for centuries Switzerland’s foreign

policy has been anchored in peaceful coexistence

among States. Thanks to our neutrality, we maintain

relations with all countries. We never take sides, but

we can provide support or propose our mediation.

Furthermore, our neutrality allows us to offer our good

offices.

Humanitarian engagement is part of our history. It

is an honour for us to make our neutral soil available

for peace talks, and we will continue to do all we can

to contribute towards peace in the world, in particular

through our good offices. That impartial work is based

on our belief that there are differences between people

and between nations. Those differences are natural.

Moreover, all human beings enjoy equal rights.

The protection of human rights is a key element of

the Swiss commitment. Those rights are an expression

of the obligations set out under international law and

must be protected. Switzerland is concerned by the

widespread excesses of violence and numerous human

rights violations. It calls on all States and civilian actors

to renounce violence.

In the Middle East, violent conflicts are imposing

unacceptable suffering on the civil population. The

situation in Syria has deteriorated to such an extent that

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of

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humanitarian organizations are unable to cope. Serious

and systematic violations and abuses of international

humanitarian law and human rights cannot be tolerated

in any circumstances. Such crimes must not go

unpunished, regardless of which side is responsible.

That is why my country, together with 57 like-minded

States, called on the Security Council in January to

refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal

Court. The use of chemical weapons is a particularly

despicable crime. It is imperative to shed light on all

facts. With that in mind, Switzerland welcomes recent

developments.

I stress the need for the international community to

spare no effort to pave the way for another conference

at the earliest possible date in Geneva. That conference

should result in a negotiated and lasting solution that

would take into account the legitimate aspirations of

all Syrians.

Switzerland is not the only country bound by the

principle of equal rights. The Charter of the United

Nations endows it with universal validity. The preamble

reaffirms “faith in fundamental human rights, in the

dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal

rights of men and women”.

What applies to all human beings also applies to

the States we live in. That is why, in the same sentence,

after referring to the fundamental rights of all people,

the Charter refers explicitly to the equal rights of

nations “large and small”. Under paragraph 2 of Article

I of the Charter, the United Nations seeks “to develop

friendly relations among nations based on respect for

the principle of equal rights and self-determination of

peoples”. Paragraph 1 of Article 2 states that

“[t]he Organization is based on the principle of the

sovereign equality of all its Members.”

I firmly believe that those principles are the keystone for

the peaceful coexistence of all people and populations

of this world.

But are we still sufficiently aware of this? Or are

we prone to lose ourselves in grandiose ideas and minor

details? I have the impression that in international

politics too much is said of how things should be in an

ideal world and too little about reality. I cannot help

but feel that excessive bureaucracy creates a kind of

parallel universe that leads to increased isolation. At

the end of the day, that leads to increasingly higher

costs and fewer concrete results.

Global problems need more than general discussions;

above all, they require a search for solutions shared by

all parties. The United Nations was created to find such

solutions, and to that end it must be efficient, innovative

and effective. Only thus will it be able to make progress

in ensuring the equal rights of people and nations.

Switzerland is firmly committed to contributing to that

task. At present, certain developments are at odds with

the shared values laid down in the Charter. I would like

to address those subjects and launch a discussion on

these worrisome developments.

As the representative of a neutral State with a

long-standing humanitarian tradition, it is with some

concern that I observe the growing resurgence of

power politics. I note that large States are once again

choosing to exercise their power and force and that they

view smaller States less and less as equal partners. I

sincerely hope that this trend will be reversed as soon

as possible. Otherwise, the fundamental values of the

Charter, which unite the international community and

to which its members feel committed, will be placed in

doubt.

As I have already said, the tendency towards

power politics on the international stage worries me,

for we believe that the countries on this planet should

be free to choose their own futures, even as they

respect others States and accept the rules of peaceful

coexistence among peoples, without sacrificing their

specific character. We believe in peaceful competition

among economies. We believe in the diversity of the

world — the peaceful diversity of sovereign States

that treat one another fairly and as equal partners.

People are free to draw up their own constitutions and

to determine their own economic order and their own

system of law. No State may impose its law over that

of another country. Problems are not solved by diktat,

but through negotiations. The shared norms and rules

of international law exist to ensure that it is not simply

the law of the strongest that applies. The principles of

sovereignty and equal rights provide peace and stability

and foster friendly relations between all peoples.

Those are the convictions upon which the Charter

of the United Nations is based. Do we still share these

convictions today?

The way in which large nations have acted in

dealings with small nations recently has disturbed me

because I often have the impression that force has often

been placed above the law. The United Nations is active

in a vast range of areas. There is perhaps a risk that it

has taken on too much and lost sight of what is essential

and concrete. The United Nations and its Member States

often seem at a loss when the principles upon which

the Organization were founded are at stake. Let us

never forget what underlies these principles: the equal

rights of people and the equal rights and sovereignty

of nations. They are embodiments of the lessons of

history, which has been a painful story of oppression,

foreign domination and conflicts.

Together we must decide which path we want to

take. Do we want to continue squandering our strength

on issues of secondary interest? I believe that we should

strive, here and now, to reaffirm and live out the values

of the United Nations. Let us commit ourselves to

achieving a peaceful world in which people and nations

enjoy equal rights and are of equal value — a world in

which right prevails over might. It is up to all of us here

in this Hall to do all in our power to achieve that goal.

Let us start without delay.